


Remembering a promise

by LittleMusing



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Male My Unit | Byleth, Possible Spoilers, Post-Time Skip, probably not canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 21:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20264437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMusing/pseuds/LittleMusing
Summary: Remember, when we said we would meet here again in the monastery after five years? Claude POV, the Riegan heir finds himself not the only one who remembered. | I still need to actually reach the Lions route of time skip but this idea possessed me while I was writing something else, so have a short on it.





	Remembering a promise

He's not alone, Claude realizes belatedly. He's already too near to Garreg Mach, he can't stop now though. _Oh, no big deal, your Duke went out solo to fulfil a promise from five years ago and got killed_, he thinks wryly to himself. He lands in the middle of the courtyard, and carefully places Failnaught on the ground, and he waits. He pats down the wyvern, whispering nothing to it, while he keeps his eye out for the occupants of the monastery. The bandits aren't in the academy grounds proper, as far as he could see. This was someone else.

It's not too long before he feels the weight of steel on his back.

"Why are you here," Annette's voice is trembling.

"All of us, we made a promise, remember?" he says, softly, soothingly. "I didn't bring the Emperor and my weapon is on the ground."

The weight lifts off, but he should fear the girl's magic more really. He doesn't turn to face her, lest the movement earns him a scorched face. 

"You're so stupid to be coming here alone."

"Our ol' Teach has that effect, sorry. May I turn around?"

She doesn't reply immediately, but he can hear the careful footsteps of the rest of the Lions, hidden from view. "You may."

She'd let her hair down, and looks much older now. Of course. It's been five years. He bows slightly. "Thank you. I presume you're all waiting, too?"

She doesn't answer that. She doesn't really need to. After the uprising in the kingdom, they must have thought of the one last sanctuary they could've gone to. A final hope, of sorts.

"He's at the tower, waiting." She looks so tired. Aren't they all? 

Dimitri... the years have not been kind on him. What man would he find? Or as Felix would put it, a boar, a mere beast? Claude can't ask for the gods for help, but for his sake, for Dimitri's, he would stake their future on their most important, missing, piece.

Claude's steps ring hollowly as he makes the climb. He braces himself for anything, really, but who can really prepare? At the top, Dimitri is slumped against the wall, and though unmoving, Claude can just feel... _something_... radiate off him. He lowers his eyes, as he realizes, he's treating his former schoolmate like an animal. Don't make eye contact. Don't make sudden movements. Slowly, he moves nearer towards where he would see the sun rise, feeling Dimitri's eyes on him from the shadows. The silence is palpable. Would Edelgard herself make an appearance? Surely not. If she had the urge to keep the five year promise, then surely she'd understand they'd ALL be here. She would never leave this place in one piece.

Ironically, if she were here, and so was Teach, that would be a sign of the war coming to an end. He'd bet on it. 

Fascinating, really, how one person's impact worked. Ol' Teach being the wildcard.

"Please show up," he mutters under his breath, as light begins to filter into the tower. "Teach..."

As if on cue, he can hear footsteps. Dimitri's head rises a fraction, and they wait with bated breath.

Dishevelled, pale green hair matted with dirt, there he was. Five years of buried feelings threaten to leap out of Claude's chest. He wants to go to him so badly, but his feet are rooted to the spot. The smile on his face comes much easier, pained as his might be, then he turns to Dimitri.

The fallen prince stares impassively. Did Byleth look like a specter of the past to him? He certainly didn't change at all, not looking that worse for the wear. Byleth slowly approaches Dimitri, holding out his hand. Claude would want nothing more than to hold the man he thought lost in his arms, but. But.

His most beloved friend, ally, is here, and he has to put his plans into motion. _I'm sorry for using you already so soon_, he wants to say.

"Take care of him, Teach," he finally manages to force out. "We'll take care of the bandits around the perimeter. Hope you can join us for a warm up!"

Joke, smile better. He can tell he's not fooling Byleth for a minute. Those green eyes feel like they're piercing Claude's soul. How could you still know him so well even after all this time? It's not fair. They can't even reunite properly.

Claude books it before he wants to take Byleth away. They're at war, and Dimitri needs to be a more stable ally. He can trust his Teach. 

At least he's here. Like hell Claude was gonna let some Emperor kill him now.

And so, the wheels of fate begin to turn, once more. Whether or not Claude puts any stake into "fate", it is what it is, and he'll have to weather the storm.

It's finally time.

**Author's Note:**

> I'M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING THE EAGLES ROUTE AFTER LEARNING OF SPOILERS I CAN'T I CAN'T BEAR TO HIT CLAUDE IN THE MOCK BATTLE OR ANY OF MY DEER
> 
> but anyway I'm doing Lions Only, No Recruit run for NG+ and boi everyone is 6-7 levels above recommended, with all the statue boosts. It sure do be like that
> 
> I don't know how Edelgard can smoothly slot in to this canon divergence without, you know, everyone hating her guts. The whole Slither In the Dark thing has to come up earlier and not rapidly escalate into war + Backstory TM shit has to be established too so maybe next time


End file.
